Writer and wine columnist John Schreiner is Canada's most prolific author of books on wine.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Class of 2015: The Hatch Winery

Winemaker Jason Parkes of The Hatch Winery

The Hatch Winery

3225 Boucherie Road

West KelownaV1Z 4E4

T 778.755.6013

It was not long after The Hatch wine shop opened on June 1
that a buzz developed about this winery.

A fellow wine writer who visited told me this was the most
fun he had had in a tasting room in a long time.

“The Hatch tasting room is a very high energy place, very
raw,” says winemaker Jason Parkes. “People love the place.”

If you did not visit The Hatch this season, you can still
experience the unbuttoned and edgy vibe of the place by reading the winery’s
website and by studying the exuberant labels on its wines. This represents the
clever and imaginative mind of general manager Jesse Harnden. The wines measure up very well.

The Hatch is one of two wineries operated by Terrabella
Wineries, a holding company based in Summerland. (The other is Perseus Winery
in Penticton.)
It is based on a vineyard that Terrabella purchased in 2013, just north of
Quails’ Gate Estate winery. The 15 acres of vines include Pinot Blanc, Pinot
Noir and Gamay.

Originally, this winery was to be called Helios until a
conflict was found with another brand. The owners then came up with Black Swift
Vineyards, named for a high-flying migratory bird. Flocks of black swifts are
called screaming frenzies.

In the course of refining the brand, The Hatch emerged as
the winery’s name with Black Swift and Screaming Frenzy becoming brands within
The Hatch portfolio.

Some of the branding decisions evolved from the work of Paul
Morstad, a Vancouver
artist whose style recalls the legendary Ralph Steadman. The latter is the
British cartoonist well known for the labels he created for Bonny Doon
Vineyard. (His irreverent label for a wine called Cardinal Zin caused the wine
to be banned in Ohio.)

Jesse Harnden happens to admire the Bonny Doon vibe. He was receptive
when Morstad was recommended to create some labels for The Hatch. Jesse was
floored by the string of coincidences that unravelled subsequently, beginning
with the fact that the artist grew up in West Kelowna.

It turned out that Morstad already had what you might call
an intimate connection to the vineyard that supports The Hatch. When he was an
undisciplined sixteen-year-old, Morstad went drinking with friends. When they
ran out of beer, he “borrowed” his father’s truck to get more. On the way back,
he managed to flip the truck end over end three times. Miraculously, he was
uninjured. A neighbour hid the beer and convinced the police that Morstad was a
good kid.

The ironic coincidence is that the truck had come to rest in
what is now the vineyard at The Hatch.

“This was meant to be!” Harnden says of his decision to use
Morstad’s art on The Hatch Wines.

An octopus swimming in what Morstad says is Champagne fostered the
label for The Hatch ‘Octobubble’ Brut Rosé.
The image of a torso topped with a nest and an egg adorns two house
wines – a white blend called B. Yanko and a red blend called Ross O. For two
other blends labelled Dynasty – a big white and a big red – an elephant appears
on the labels of the unusually squat bottles.

And several wines use images from a Morstad painting that
features hobos.

The inspiration from Morstad just kept rolling along. A hobo
hut from the painting served as the design model for the deliberately rustic
wine shop.

The Hatch vineyard fronts on high-traffic Boucherie Road, a strategic location
because there are six other wineries on, or close to, that road. There was an
early plan for a grand Hatch facility on the road as well. But when economic
reality got in the way, it was decided to renovate old barns or tractor sheds
at the rear of the vineyard.

The resulting wine shop echoes the unrestrained art of the
labels. Doors are salvaged from an old mansion; the ceiling is salvaged from an
old building; the interior walls are salvaged wood from a Vernon barn. It would be hard to find a
tasting room with more personality.

Jason Parkes, the winemaker, is a
perfect fit with the vibe of The Hatch. He once was the leader of a “spacepunk”
rock band from Kitimat called Glasshead. When music was not paying the bills, a
vineyard job at Hainle Vineyards led to a flourishing career as a consulting
winemaker. He now makes wines for many of his clients from First Estate Winery
near Peachland, which he leases.

Here are notes on the wines at
The Hatch and its partner labels. Some are small lot wines and will be sold out
after a very successful season in the wine shop.

The Hatch B. Yanco 2013 ($13.99). This is a blend of 70% Pinot
Blanc and 30% Viognier. The wine begins with aromas of apple and stone fruit,
leading to flavours of apple and peach. The wine is refreshing and crisp on the
finish. 88.

The Hatch Ross O 2012 ($15.99). This is 92% Pinot Noir, 8% Gamay.
It is full of bright cherry flavours and aromas. 87.

The Hatch Muscat 2014 Hobo Series ($21.99). This is a good dry Muscat, with spice on the
nose and spicy citrus flavours. 88.

The Hatch Sémillon 2014 Hobo Series ($21.99). The wine begins with
aromas of citrus and banana and delivers grapefruit flavours. The texture is
rich. 90.

The Hatch Gamay 2013 Hobo Series ($21.99). This is a light, cheery
Gamay with aromas of strawberries and flavours of strawberry and cherry. 88.

The Hatch Octobubble Brut Rosé ($27.99). This is a traditional
method sparkling wine with Gamay grapes. Tangy and fresh, the wine has
appealing aromas and flavours of wild strawberry. 91

The Dynasty White 2013 ($29.99). This is a blend of equal parts of
Pinot Gris, Viognier and Chardonnay. The varietals were fermented in barrels
but were aged in stainless steel barrels. The wine is rich and buttery on the
palate, with flavours of pear, pineapple and mango. There is a touch of spice
on the finish. 90.

The Dynasty Red 2013 ($39.99). This is 70% Merlot and 15% each
Malbec and Syrah. The wine is bold, with concentrated flavours of red berries,
plums and black currants. There is a hint of pepper on the finish, along with
black coffee and chocolate. 91.

Hatchchild 2012 ($33.33). The sheep on the label inspired the
punning name for what is a pretty serious wine. It is Cabernet Sauvignon, with
grapes from Inkameep Vineyard’s legendary U2 block. It is an elegant wine with
ripe tannins and aromas and flavours of cassis and plum. 90.

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About Me

John Schreiner is Canada's most prolific writer of books on wine. Since his first book in 1984, The World of Canadian Wine, he has written 15, including multiple editions of The Wineries of British Columba, British Columbia Wine Country and John Schreiner's Okanagan Wine Tour Guide.